Fat around the heart ups heart attack risk

Washington: The fat around the heart - so called pericardial fat – can boost the risk of heart attack, according to a new Japanese study.

Even a thin person can have pericardial fat. Several studies suggest that pericardial fat induces inflammation of the artery wall by secretion of pro-inflammatory proteins and plays a role in the pathogenesis of coronary artery disease.

One hundred and eight consecutive patients with de novo lesions located in native coronary artery were studied. The pericardial fat thickness on the right ventricle was measured using transthoracic echocardiography, and arterial remodeling of culprit lesion was assessed by pre-interventional IVUS.